Thread: Is one year still too early?..

To be throwing uppercuts and hooks well in the ring? I can throw these punches pretty damn well on the bags. But when it comes down to it in sparring, My body just wont respond when i try or have the opportunity to throw these punches. So do you guys think one year is pretty early for your body to be accustomed to throwing these punches while sparring? Again, on the bag, its beautiful. In the ring, i cant even bring myself to throw them. Its like a mental block. Its just so much f'ing harder trying to throw hooks and uppercuts while boxing.

Normal? And how long did it take you guys to really be proficient at throwing these punches in sparring?

I think its pretty normal in any sport, I know for basketball i would practise moves for hours. But come game time i would stick to a couple of moves, you have to make a conscious effort to actually do them for them to come natural. There is no strict time frame, just seeing openings and filling them. Plus since those are mainly close in punches it does take some learning to do them in the ring. I know i hardly ever throw uppercuts, but thats because I try not to stay close to sparring partners for very long at all. I guess you need to set out in a sparring session to actually try and do these punches, and aim to creat openings for uppercuts and hooks instead of straights.

Now then mate.It does sound like you have a mental block in throwing the uppercuts.It sounds like it could mostly be your conscious factor that the object your used to throwing uppercuts at is no longer a strung up punching bag that waits for you to line up and unload your punches at your own beckon time.The fact that the object your finding differcult to throw uppercuts at is a formidable moving live object(Sparring Partner)that is entitled to hit you back at any giving time is the problem.Dont be afraid to get up close and personal and unleash your great uppercuts on the sparring partner.After all thats the whole purpose on sparring,to sharpen up your punches!Just let your punches roll off without no hesitation and have your trainer watch you at close view as you are doing soo.That way you'll always have a good feedback on how your punches roll off.The key is,just try and get used to throwing them without much hesitation at all.Good luck and enjoy your sparring session

A couple of tips.

Practice them a lot doing shadowboxing as well... Imagine your opponent doing a certain attack which would lend itself to a nice uppercut counter or a nice hook. Try watching some fights a couple of times over and analyze whenever a fighter does a nice hook or uppercut, the circumstances that led to it.. What the opponent was trying to do that put them in the position to be hooked or uppercuted (is that a word?)...
The main factor is probably the reading of your opponent.. Looking for things that are going to put them in the situation where your punches will connect and be effective.
Have someone in the gym run through very slow sparring session.. Like right back to sqaure one learning, have them come in close, and in slow motion throw something, which you react to with an uppercut... Very slowly. Do this over and over building it into your automatic response...
It's kind of easy to get straight punches built into your automated reactions, but you need to get your body and mind used to reacting to certain action from your opponent, with hooks and uppercuts from yourself..
Once you've got that working in very slow simulated movements, then you can slowly speed it up a little... Then make the simulations longer. Have them throw a left and right and you the same, THEN come in with the uppercut.... Again, very slowly,,, but it's building the uppercut into your attack, and into your arsenal that comes out IN REACTION to your opponents movement.
That's probably the best way... Even if you just spent a single day rehersing JUST this thing of adding uppercuts into slow simulations,,,, you'll feel more confident to use them in real sparring situations..

Good luck!!!

Another thing you can do while watching fights is shadow box in front of the television or computer, and pretend you are one of the fighters reacting to the other fighter... Look for that uppercut or hook opportunity... Get you're mind used to looking for it and recognising when the opportunity comes.. Once it becomes a little more automated - You'll be anticipating them... Hell, you'll be WAITING for them... Then that split second comes, and BAM, your automatic response system has already thrown it before you logically even realise that the moment to throw an uppercut has come...
That's what so good about a big knockout punch.. Your automated response see's that opportunity coming like 3 punches away, and your opponent is laying on his back before his 4th punch, wondering how his 4 punch combo got interupted by him being knocked the f'k out...

You have to throw those punches in sparring.
If you hold them back you're not learning how to throw them in an actual fight.

In sparring you should seek tomapply all that you plan during your padwork, bag work and shadowboxing.
It can allow you time to become accustomed to performing these manouevers under pressure and increase speed of thought and hand.

You have to throw those punches in sparring.
If you hold them back you're not learning how to throw them in an actual fight.

In sparring you should seek tomapply all that you plan during your padwork, bag work and shadowboxing.
It can allow you time to become accustomed to performing these manouevers under pressure and increase speed of thought and hand.

I throw uppercuts all the time when I spar, and I'm still a novice. I have made a conscious effort to learn and incorporate uppercutsk, but that has something to do with being 5'10" LHW and knowing from the start that I would need to learn how to fight on the inside. I land more uppercuts against more experienced opponents than I do straights. Lots of people don't defend them well or at least don't defend them as well as they do straights and hooks.

why are you hesitant to throw them? What exactly is holding you back? Is it the thought of getting hit, or throwing them and coming up empty?

It's a lot tougher to hit an experienced opponent than people think.

Well Von, its not that im scared or hesitant. I've actually landed some hooks and uppercuts albeit they werent great. Like i said, i can throw them great on a heavybag, but when it comes to a live opponent, its like you said, its harder to land (with good technique). Its a completely different world. But the best way i can explain it is, a mental block. My mind yells at me, but my body wont move. I think thats the big problem, is that i havent conditioned my body to throw these punches without thought or hesitation like dizas said. So i guess i should drill more before trying to perfect it in sparring.

You guys have given me some good things to think about though. It could be i'm not drilling the punches in the approriate situations or it could be that im not sparring effectively.

and dizaster, i'll take your word for it and shadowbox while watching some fights, and react to the other fighters movements. Since i kinda do it in my head already, i'll just take it another step up.

Originally Posted by southpawed

Well Von, its not that im scared or hesitant. I've actually landed some hooks and uppercuts albeit they werent great. Like i said, i can throw them great on a heavybag, but when it comes to a live opponent, its like you said, its harder to land (with good technique). Its a completely different world. But the best way i can explain it is, a mental block. My mind yells at me, but my body wont move. I think thats the big problem, is that i havent conditioned my body to throw these punches without thought or hesitation like dizas said. So i guess i should drill more before trying to perfect it in sparring.

You guys have given me some good things to think about though. It could be i'm not drilling the punches in the approriate situations or it could be that im not sparring effectively.

and dizaster, i'll take your word for it and shadowbox while watching some fights, and react to the other fighters movements. Since i kinda do it in my head already, i'll just take it another step up.

Alright they mate.If you feel you need more conditioning and more time in learning to throw then thats great.It's a fact that if your determined to adopt great technique in your Uppercuts then just apply some of the things mentioned from other boxers and boxing fans on your Thread.Just try not to worry too much on letting the punches roll off in your sparring sessions.If your still hestitant in throwing them then your losing out on dominating great speed,power,leverage,and timing mate.And you know that them techniques are vital inthe sport of boxing.So Please try to erase any negative thoughts and LET THEM PUNCHES ROLL!!!!!My friend.The quicker you get rid of them negative thoughts the quicker and better you'll be as a boxer.Good Luck.Let me know how you get on mate!

Maybe its your balance? Just reading the part which said you had thrown them but the didn't connect well. Just throwing it out there but maybe you aren't setting yourself in the right position to throw them, this would explain how your body wont react. Check your feet that your on the ball and not the heels especially your back foot. Also practise using it on a light heavy bag where you can turn and rotate around the bag, in and out so you can simulate this.

Don't know if that helps at all, but was a major hurdle for me when trying to throw a hook after a jab.

Originally Posted by Salty

Maybe its your balance? Just reading the part which said you had thrown them but the didn't connect well. Just throwing it out there but maybe you aren't setting yourself in the right position to throw them, this would explain how your body wont react. Check your feet that your on the ball and not the heels especially your back foot. Also practise using it on a light heavy bag where you can turn and rotate around the bag, in and out so you can simulate this.

Don't know if that helps at all, but was a major hurdle for me when trying to throw a hook after a jab.

That's a great bit of advice... It might be okay throwing them if your not moving around to much,, but moving around, backwards and forwards it a little more to think about, and getting yourself into good balance for a hook or uppercut while moving around might be a little more to think about that your body is ready for, and their is hesitation there or off balance as Salty said.. This is something you could let your trainer know about and have him watch how you set your body to hook or uppercut, and check if you are balanced correctly so that you can throw them quickly and effectively in amonst other combo's and even on their own during other movements.

Even just from more practice though, it'll come together eventually..